


Gallows-birds

by YoungSoon



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Could count as:, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Historical, Historical Fantasy, Historical References, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Blow Jobs, M/M, Mentioned violence, Pirates, Refers to colonial Britain at its peak in 18th century, Sexual Tension, but it develops super fast, commander Seonghwa, pirate San
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22255243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoungSoon/pseuds/YoungSoon
Summary: While one kingdom expands across the globe, others are pushed under tight rules and taken advantage of. Some chose to fight it openly, some do it secretly, but their goals might not be so different, especially if they share the same heart, same love, and same destiny.
Relationships: Choi San/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 16
Kudos: 121





	Gallows-birds

“Commander Park!” an excited voice behind Seonghwa makes him almost drop the map he is holding. The commanders’ cabin of the ship is not large enough to echo the sound of the excited men's’ voices, yet it feels like it does. The large, long table in the middle of it with eight chairs, the bookshelf on the left, the bed on the right with a wardrobe next to it should have prevented the eardrum shaking effect, but the excitement in the voices of the two guards barging in is unstoppable. “We have caught him!” they exclaim in excitement while Seonghwa feels nothing more than annoyance. However, he turns around calmly with a twisted smile on his face, his expression making the two guards take a step back. They straighten their backs and fix the musket belts on their shoulders.

“Sir, we have caught him!” they exclaim in unison, clanking the heels of their boots together before stepping aside from the door. A third guard is standing behind them, a bound man in front of him. “He was sneaking around the ship, the dumb bastard, and basically walked straight into our hands,” one of them continues with the same excitement as before while the man is pushed in. His head is hanging low, dark hair falling out from the messy ponytail in which they are pulled back in and hiding his face. He isn’t tall, nor he is short, with broad shoulders sinking in a musk brown canvas sweater, half-tucked into dark brown woolen pants, ending into leather boots halfway up the man’s calves. A loose scarf is thrown around his neck, barely holding on.

“We confiscated his sword and gun,” the guard pushing the man in shows the two items in his hand. “What will be your further orders, sir? He is a wanted criminal, after all,” he emphasizes, and Seonghwa walks the few needed steps closer to the man. Quite roughly, his hand goes for the man’s face, grabbing his jaw between his thumb and index finger, lifting it up. The commander’s whole face changes upon seeing the face peering back at him. The deep brown mahogany eyes with an ever-present playful gleam, the full lips curling into a smirk as the man looks at Seonghwa.

“Long time no see, commander,” the man says in a ridiculously low voice as he peers up at the man. “Is that another medal I see from nothing but staying in the port?” he looks at the shiny metal disks attached to Seonghwa’s uniform. “Must be nice to do nothing and get everything,” he continues, and Seonghwa finally lets go of his face, yet this time the man no longer allows his head hang low and instead looks at the commander through the messy strands of hair falling over his face. He even seems to look at himself in the reflection of the buttons, sown to the golden piping on top of the navy blue fabric of the tailcoat Seonghwa is wearing, showing no respect to the uniform.

“Leave him and his belongings here. An interrogation needs to follow by the protocol,” he orders in a stern voice, but the guards seem to be puzzled for a moment.

“Sir, will you be able to do it alone?” one of them asks and instantly looks away as Seonghwa’s cold gaze turns to him. 

“Was I unclear?” the commander asks, and the guard frantically shakes his head. The trio quickly proceeds to sit the bound man on a chair at the end of the meeting table. His weapons are left in the middle of the table, far away from his possible reach, even if his hands are tied behind his back. They quickly salute to Seonghwa and walk out, closing the door behind them. Seonghwa follows them until the door, locking it before he lets out a long breath and returns to the laid out maps on the table.

“Finally, planning to set sail? To where?” the captured man leans back in the chair a bit more comfortably. “Never thought you would actually do that,” he adds and pushes his chair back, earning Seonghwa’s attention. He doesn’t stand up as one would expect, but throws his feet on the edge of the table instead, crossing them in the process. He acts as if he wouldn’t be the prisoner - his hands tied, his weapons taken away.

“Get your dirty boots off the table,” the commander utters under his breath, looking at the man who has gotten quite comfortable.

“My boots are much cleaner than yours, as the sea carries no gunk, compared to the street you walk on,” he retorts and looks around the cabin, noting the three large, round windows, the slightly crooked painting on the king between the two of them. “How odd that everything in this room is so neat,” he continues looking around. “Even that dumb hat on your head sits there perfectly still, but the king is leaning a bit to the left,” he smiles, and Seonghwa’s eyes look a the painting at question before turning his gaze back to the map before him.

“Oh, right! He is not your king, isn’t he?” the bound man notes and finally gets the commander to look at him.

“Why are you back at this port, San? Don’t you know the bounty on your head? By your return here, you are asking for nothing more but the noose,” Seonghwa looks at him with the harshest gaze he can manage, but the man to his right is not phased at all. 

“This is my port. This is where I grew up, and no colonial bastards will make me leave it for good. Even if it is my final resting place,” San speaks with pride in his voice. “So I will never understand how you could take their side. Isn’t this your home as well?”

“I have not taken their side,” Seonghwa turns fully towards San. “I am protecting this town.”

“Are you trying to make me laugh? How is licking British boots and collecting sparkly trinkets protecting it?” San actually lets out a small laugh before going absolutely serious. “You can protect it differently.”

“By robbing and sinking ships? By becoming a criminal like you? I think not,” Seonghwa scoffs and rolls up the maps, taking them to the bookshelf and putting them aside. He rests his hand on one of the shelves for a second before turning to San again. “Why are you even here?”

“Would ‘missing you’ count as a reason? Or maybe ‘bringing you to your senses’ is better?” the pirate smirks catching Seonghwa’s expression change even if just for a second.

“So you missed being caught by me and sent to the gallows,” the man clears his throat as he walks around and straightens the painting that was at question earlier.

“How interesting that you have now caught me four times in total, but each time I have escaped,” San sounds highly amused, observing how Seonghwa paces around the room, seemingly not knowing where to put himself.

“You are probably one of the nastiest pirate scum the port has ever seen, your whole crew following right along,” the commander tries to sound threatening, but his words do not affect San.

“I already told you - sea carries no scum. Only streets do,” he emphasizes. “But, if you insist that I am scum, wouldn’t it be easier for you to let me float away again? I’d fit nicely through that window,” the pirate smirks.

“On what pretense should I let you go?” the commander sounds almost offended, but it is unclear about what exactly. Perhaps about San wanting to leave so early or maybe him asking so shamelessly.

“Oh, so you want a deal? Okay,” the pirate seems to perk up even more. With no warning, he uncrosses his legs and instead spreads them, the soles of his boots resting on the edge of the table near the corners. “How about I let you do whatever you want with me before I go? Sounds like a deal, doesn’t it?” he licks his lips slowly, locking his eyes with the flustered commander. 

“You are not only a pirate but also a prostitute? I can’t say I am surprised,” he looks the pirate up and down, the man’s spread legs leaving very little for his imagination, his pants clinging around every curve of the mans’ body.

“Absolutely not. I am not asking for no other payment, but my rightful freedom and I am not offering myself to just anyone - only you, commander,” a devilish smile spreads on San’s lips as he observes as carefully as he can how Seonghwa’s adam's apple moves as he swallows his saliva quite obviously.

“What makes you think I would ever agree to such a crude offer?” Seonghwa manages to push past his lips without his voice trembling. 

“You might pretend to be blind and stupid for the brits, but I am not like you,” San puts his feet on the wooden floor and stands up. He boldly makes his way towards Seonghwa, who is still standing near the king’s portrait in the light coming from the window. The gold piping and buttons shine in the sunlight along with the medals on his chest. The white vest reflects the beaming light from between the folds of the navy blue tailcoat. Even the ridiculous and odd triangle hat with the gold trimming looks almost regal on the commander. His naturally dark hair, tied back in a small ponytail with a blue ribbon, makes him look a bit ridiculous, but he still might be the best loot San has laid his eyes on in a while.

“I have seen how you look at me, commander,” he stands right in front of the man and then takes one more lethal step forward, tiptoeing to whisper in the man’s ears. “And I know about the ropes,” he whispers and doesn’t expect Seonghwa to yank him closer by his belt.

“Are you adding blackmail to your long list of crimes?” he utters through clenched teeth, his hot breath hitting the pirates’ ear, and a shiver runs through San’s entire being.

“No. I am not going to use my knowledge against you. Only in your favor, commander,” he exhales through his mouth as he speaks, his breath grazing the shell of Seonghwa’s ear, making him shiver.

“Do you really think I am that gullible, pirate?” he continues to resist, even though he is holding San close by his belt, his nose almost buried in the pirates’ hair. He smells like the endless sea, like the breeze that hits Seonghwa’s ship from the open waters beyond the borders of the port. He smells like freedom.

“Have never thought that,” San responds and pushes his hips more forward. “You can, of course, prove me wrong,” he swallows loud enough for Seonghwa to hear, and they are so close together San can almost feel, almost hear how fast Seonghwa’s heart is racing. They stay like this - so close it gets hard to breathe from coursing excitement - for the longest minutes they have ever experienced before Seonghwa’s hands go to San’s shoulders. He pushes down with enough authority to make San move but not with so much to hurt him.

The view from above is fantastic. The sparkling, ever-changing eyes looking up at him. Those pink lips parted in anticipation, tongue darting out to lick them, chest rising and falling in deep breaths. The commander cannot control his hands as it goes to the pirate’s head and tangles in the loose strands of hair as he smooths them away from the perfectly shaped face. He tilts San’s head up a bit more, making more direct eye contact with the man, running his fingers through his hair. Seonghwa doesn’t stop him when he crawls a bit closer, his face in direct contact with the commander’s crotch. Neither does he stop the man when he nuzzles into it, placing a kiss on the growing bulge in the white slacks.

“My hands are a bit… tied,” San smirks, “So you have two options,” he moves his mouth against the white fabric, almost putting too much pressure on each word he says. His eyes are heavy-lidded and sultry, hypnotizing the man above him.

“Be damned,” Seonghwa utters. He throws his hat in the general direction of the bed, the shadow from it blocking his view. To his own surprise, his hand does not shake as he undoes the buttons of his pants and lowers them enough to let his cock out. There is a shaky exhale from San before he moves forward, engulfing the near completely hard flesh with his mouth. Most obscene sounds leave his occupied mouth as he moves his head back and forth. It is a bit sloppy, saliva dripping from the corners of his lips, but the amount of enthusiasm and actual skills is remarkable. Maybe remarkable to the point it gets Seonghwa wondering where this skill comes from. 

The commander lets both of his hands go to San’s head, first threading his fingers through the messy locks before settling on it firmly. He guides the pirates' mouth to his pleasure as the man under his control moans, the hands that are still behind his back, grabbing a hold on the ropes from some sort of support. There’s a bulge at the front of his slacks, his eyes glazed with satisfaction, and Seonghwa can barely stand this. Most literally, his knees are buckling and threaten to cave in on him any second, so he makes the decision to pull off the pirates’ mouth.

“Why…” the man still on his knees whines, panting heavily and looking up. He attempts to move forward and take Seonghwa’s girth back in his mouth, but the man stops him.

“Stand up,” he breathes out, barely able to keep his voice under control. The pirates' legs wobble just as Seonghwa’s as he gets back on his feet. He follows with his eyes how Seonghwa gets pirates’ own sword from the table, not caring for his near-naked state. On instinct, he turns around and as expected the blade cuts open the ropes binding San to this moment. 

The second the metal of the sword clinks on the table and San turns to face the commander, his lips are claimed in a breathtaking kiss. Unable to pinpoint the emotion guiding, he simply responds with all he has - wrapping his arms around the taller man’s shoulders and being as close to him as he can. 

Clumsily, Seonghwa guides them backwards to the bed, standing against the wall and stops the kiss only to let San fall on it on his back. A sudden, unsatisfiable hunger for the man is coursing through Seonghwa’s veins, and he can’t resist it. He kicks his boots and trousers off as fast as he humanly can, near pouncing at the man on the bed. His hands are all over the place - untying San’s belt, slipping under his sweater, grabbing on fabric to pull off until San’s hands take hold of his.

“I really got you riled up this much? I must take responsibility,” he smiles sweetly, and his hands go from Seonghwa’s hands to his cheeks, gently guiding the fired up man for a kiss. “But slowly, okay, commander?” he continues to smile, resting his forehead against Seonghwa’s. The latter nods, understanding his own excitement that could have come off too eager, too, perhaps, rage driven, which is not the case.

Seonghwa moves back a bit, allowing San to sit up and doesn’t protest a bit when the nimble fingers undo the golden buttons and slip the navy tailcoat of Seongwa’s shoulders. Nor does he protest when the white vest is taken off him and lands somewhere on the floor just like the previous piece of clothing. His shirt, pulled over his head, follows soon after. 

In the slowest, most gentle way, he proceeds with undressing the pirate. Just for a second, he steps out of bed to pull the man’s slacks and boots off before climbing back in, settling on his knees between the slim legs. With just a bit of hesitation, he pulls off the sweater, his eyes noting a scar that looks like a bullet hole and a couple slashed by a knife or a sword. However, when the scarf leaves San’s neck, the long, uneven mark around the front of his neck catches his attention the most.

“Gallows are quite a scary thing. Lucky for me, I’m quite light, so suffocating slowly saved my life until help arrived,” San says softly when Seonghwa’s hand rests on his neck, his thumb gently running over the uneven skin. He doesn’t say anything in response but gently pushes San down on his back. The commander starts with a few kisses on the slightly confused pirates' cheeks and nose before he showers the scar with gentle, soft kisses. His hands run over the scarred skin on the pirate’s sides and feel each shiver of excitement, each shaky breath coming from the man.

“Yet you keep returning where nothing but the gallows await you,” Seonghwa murmurs against San’s shoulder, the latter threading his fingers through the strands of hair that are fallen out of the neat ponytail Seonghwa has.

“Not only gallows wait for me here,” he says vaguely but precisely enough to have the commander look at him just for a moment before their lips meet in another kiss.

The late afternoon sun shines through the round windows, illuminating each part of the room, and Seonghwa can’t be happier as he sees every grimace on San’s face, every movement his body makes. How his body arches into Seonghwa; how his hands first grab onto the blanket before holding onto Seonghwa’s shoulders, blunt nails digging into his skin. Most wonderful sounds fall from his lips, and the commander can honestly admit he can’t get enough of them. He can’t get enough of the very feeling of having San in his arms. 

Every part of him now yearns never to let the pirate go, and it’s precisely what he feared all this time. That one he would let the captivating man too close, he wouldn’t be able to let go of him. He has cursed himself, but as San pulls him down for another deep, heated kiss, moaning his name against Seonghwa’s lips, he can’t care less about no curses.

The sun begins to set slowly when they finally catch some sort of breath. San slowly lifts himself up from Seonghwa’s lap, where he had been driving the commander insane for the past minutes, pushing them both over the edge for the third, maybe fourth time. His skin glistens with the thinnest layer of sweat, strands of hair stuck to his face, his breathing deep and even. No one has ever looked as gorgeous as San now, Seonghwa is sure of it. He exhales deeply before near collapsing on top of the commander, but the man doesn’t mind and pulls the pirate closer. 

They remain silent for the longest time, waiting for their breathing to calm down, Seonghwa’s fingers in San’s hair while the latter draws absentminded patterns on the commanders’ arm. Seonghwa is the one to speak first.

“How do you know about the ropes?” he asks and feels how San’s body shakes a little from a small laugh he lets out.

“You can’t outsmart a pirate when it comes to escaping. I would have gotten out myself, but your assistance with loosening the ties came in handy. All those four times,” the pirate explains. “I have yet to understand why though,” he adds and looks up to meet Seonghwa’s eyes.

“Maybe it is the same reason why you keep coming back and getting caught,” he smiles tenderly at the man lying on his chest and smooths hair from his face. 

“Assisting a pirate in any way has only one sentence,” San wraps his arms around the commander, snuggling closer to the man.

“I know. You don’t even know how many laws I’ve broken under the British nose. Not only assisting a pirate would present me to the noose,” Seonghwa explains, his hand never stopping the calming motion of running his fingers through San’s hair. 

“Wouldn’t it be easier to be on my side then?” the pirate asks and sits up a bit. “Come with me,” he asks, almost pleads, but the commander shakes his head, his hand now resting on San’s cheek.   


“I haven’t done everything I want to do for this port,” he admits. A pout forms on San’s lips, which makes Seonghwa smile, and he pulls the pirate down for a kiss yet again, seemingly unable to get enough. Gradually, the kiss speeds up, and San climbs back on top of Seonghwa’s lap. Each small sound he makes travel through Seonghwa’s whole being, and that alone is the oddly most satisfying feeling.

A sudden bang on the door startles both of them, and they freeze in their spots. “Commander Park,” the commodores' voice can be heard through the door. “I have been informed a wanted pirate is under your questioning since afternoon, is everything alright?” he asks, and the two men in the room instantly go into a state of panic.

Both of them scramble out of bed and frantically put on their pants and pull on their shirts. San, while still putting on his boots, staggers to the table and grabs his sword and gun while Seonghwa takes his sword out from the belt that’s hanging on the wardrobe handle. The banging on the door repeats, and the commodore calls out for Seonghwa again. This time he threatens to break down the door if there will be no response.

“Go,” Seonghwa turns to San, who has taken his place next to Seonghwa with the sword in hand. 

“What do you mean?” he asks in confusion. The banging on the door intensifies, making it clear someone is trying to break the door down.

“If my goal all this time has been to keep you away from the gallows in your own town, I will continue to fulfill it,” he smiles, and before San can respond, pulls the confused man in for a kiss. The wood on the door begins to crack, and the sound cuts through one’s ears. “Go,” Seonghwa repeats himself and gently pushes San towards the windows. 

Hesitantly, not looking away from Seonghwa even for a second, the pirate steps back to the wall. As the door gives in, he grabs a chair, pushes it at the side of the ship, opens the window, and pulls himself out. His last glance at the cabin finds Seonghwa fighting off three guards, while the fourth is pushing his way past towards the window. San’s fight or flight instinct is stronger, and he dives straight into the murky waters of the port.

“I knew local scum couldn’t be trusted with anything. You all turn out to be just savages after all,” the commodore scoffs at the man forcefully kneeling on the floor before him, two guards holding his hands. “Pathetic, how big of a man you acted out of yourself,” the commodore looks down at him for a second before kicking the now ex-commanders’ stomach, making him cough. “While you are nothing more than a traitor.”

“I haven’t betrayed anyone,” Seonghwa hisses through the pain in his abdomen. “I have never served your mockery of a king…” before he can continue his sentence, a boot lands on his face, making his vision blur and breathe caught in his lungs.

“A scum like you deserves nothing more but the noose. We will start tomorrow off with quite a spectacle, commander,” the commodore barks before walking out of the cabin. The guards pull Seonghwa to his feet, pull his arms behind his back and tie them up tightly. One man holds each of his arms, fearing what he might do as two of their mates remain unconscious on the floor of the room - one knocked out against the bed while other against the table. Even if restrained, he could be potentially dangerous.

The whole ship and port is buzzing as they guide Seonghwa onto the docks and towards the jail. He keeps his head held high. No one will make him lower it ever again. His pride has been trampled on until now, but now, when he is finally and truly free regardless of his bound hands, he will not give in anymore. Even if his end is awaiting him the next morning. Little does Seonghwa know two eyes, hidden behind drenched strands of hair, are following from the stacked barrels on the edge of the docks, full of determination to keep the grim destiny away from him.

The dawn is something Seonghwa does not anticipate for very obvious reasons. At the first rays of sun guards barge into his cell, his wrists, and ankles bound with chains. They do not say a word; they do not even properly look at him as just a day ago they were under his command. It might be fear, a glimpse of loyalty, maybe a pinch of respect, but they guide the ex-commander to the wooden contraption in front of the prison quietly and respectfully.

Dust flies off the wooden steps as Seonghwa climbs up them with heavy steps. Each step adding a layer on the black, a few days ago polished boots that reach almost his knee. The white slacks are dirtied by the jail floor and lost their crisp whiteness, just like the shirt he is wearing - loosely hanging on his body with no attempts to tuck it in. What used to be a ponytail is long gone, his a bit more than chin-length hair falling freely and framing his face like a thick, black curtain and creating menacing shadows on his strong features. Even when taking the last two steps on the wooden deck, under the hanging rope, he knows he commands respect from the guards and the small crowd of people gathered.

“By the laws of the Commonwealth, set by his majesty the king, Seonghwa Park has been accused of the following of crimes,” the lieutenant in charge reads while standing on the side of the gallows. “Aiding a person convicted of piracy, associating with a person convicted of piracy, disregarding the duties of his post and abusing his authority as well as betraying his majesty the king,” he continues from a piece of paper the commodore must have scribbled in a pure rage last night. “By decree, he has been found guilty in all of them, thus sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead,” the lieutenant completes and looks up at Seonghwa. “Any last words?”

“The king of the brits has never been my king. All I have done with the power I have allegedly abused is protecting the people of this town. And perhaps,” he looks down at the lieutenant and then up at the jail window where the commodore is watching, “the pirates are the only ones who can save this port.” He turns away from the men, still peering at him and looks straight ahead of him. He does not bat an eyelash when the noose is placed on, the rough rope grazing his neck, but slowly closes his eyes and takes in the last breath of the breeze that comes beyond the borders of the port. The smell of freedom. The scent of San.

So many things he could regret, so many things he could wish he would have done differently, but he will never regret saving San that first time nor this last time. Even if his final thought is of the pirate, he doesn’t mind. If just yesterday he could have thought of all his regrets, then today there are none. He is facing death as a free man, a man whose heart is full, and there is nothing to regret there.

“Aren’t you a bunch of dirty land rats?” a voice he recognizes the second he hears it makes Seonghwa’s eyes open. “Gathered for the hanging of your good commander at such an early hour,” the voice mocks and the crowd parts, giving way to the man speaking. The shiny blade of his sword reflects the rays of the rising sun, and no one in the crowd dares to stop him as he marches forward. “Pathetic, aren’t we?” he glares at the people he walks past.

“Capture that man this instant!” the commodore orders from the window, but his words and the slowly approaching guards make the man laugh out loud.

“Oh, you can try, but no one says you will succeed,” he smirks and sprints straight forward. He graciously doges the extended muskets with their sharpened spear, sliding on the ground between the guards, and jumps right on the gallow deck. “Hi!” he smiles brightly at Seonghwa before turning to the other side and fending off a guard who has made his way up the gallows yet ends up tumbling down.

“San! What the hell are you doing here? Are you insane?” Seonghwa looks at the smaller man near flying around the narrow deck, his sword meeting with the extended muskets and drawn swords. All of Seonghwa’s being is screaming for him to jump in and take on the guards himself instead of just helplessly watching San move around. The man seems to have no difficulty keeping the guards at arms' length, kicking them off the deck when possible, but this game wouldn’t last long.

“Shoot the pirate and hang the traitor!” the commodore’s voice rings through the air as he rushes out of the jailhouse, and both San and Seonghwa look at each other, eyes filled with terror. It is a split second from a fired shot and San jumping off the deck as he disappears underneath it instead. With the smallest delay, the hatchet underneath Seonghwa’s legs open, and he feels how he falls. The rope cuts into his neck, and he feels the pull, but it stops midway, something stopping his fall at the very last second before it is too late.

Seonghwa’s vision is blurry and foggy as breathing is is incredibly hard, but through the open hatch, underneath his feet, he sees no one else but San. His shoulders just barely have reached where Seonghwa’s legs end, stopping the fall at the possible last moment. If he would move from his spot, the rope would cut Seonghwa’s air off completely. Each moment becomes more and more excruciating as the noose digs into Seonghwa’s skin while San fends off the guards that have crawled under the deck to find him. All words Seonghwa would want to say are stuck in his throat, seemingly behind the rope, and he can’t tell San to flee even if he would want to.

It seems like a fight they will definitely lose, there is very little doubt about it until San notices a shiny reflection dancing on top of the startled crowd, still sticking around to see the outcome of this. “Wooyoung!” he yells from the top of his lungs, and as the name leaves his lips, a bullet whistles through the air, cutting straight through the rope holding Seonghwa up. His whole body goes limp and continues the previously stopped fall. The sudden shot from seemingly nowhere confuses the guards enough to allow San to catch Seonghwa to his best ability. 

“Hide your face,” he instructs immediately and even while still gasping for air and coughing Seonghwa does as he is told. San pulls out his pistol from behind his belt and aims at the chain connecting Seonghwa’s ankles. He turns his own face away as he fires, the link he aimed at shattering. San throws the gun to the side and helps Seonghwa up. Several more shots from the unknown shooter land on the square, giving them time, and all Seonghwa can hear is San say ‘run’ before grabbing his hands firmly - sword in his other hand.

They bolt out from under the gallows, the cut-off noose still hanging around Seonghwa’s neck, shackles around his ankles, his hands bound together yet holding onto San’s with no intention to let go. His head is buzzing, vision still blurry, and breath caught in his lungs, but he runs as fast as he can to keep up with San. He is moving forward by pure adrenaline at this point, and it is good enough.

The voices of the guards soon catch up to them, and somewhere in the distance, they can hear horses, but they don’t change their trajectory. They dart through the narrow streets and straight to the docks. As they run down the pier, the ship that just yesterday belonged to Seonghwa on their left, San doesn’t even slow down. “Jump!” he yells out, and Seonghwa simply obeys jumping into the muddy waters.

San emerges first, gasping for air, sword still in one hand but his other free from Seonghwa’s grip. “Seonghwa!” he calls out despite the guards approaching and frantically looks around for the man to come to the surface, and no words can describe his relief when he does. 

“Help,” Seonghwa gasps out before San reaches for him and pulls him under the pier, where barely their heads have space to be above water. The pirate lets go just for a second, pushing his sword behind his belt before putting his full attention keeping Seonghwa afloat, the weight of the chains, and the inability to use his arms pulling him down.

Footsteps rush over the planks above their heads, the restless pacing of horses waiting on the pavement. “Search the docks and all ships! Find them!” the commodore yells, obviously furious before moving along. The longest minutes pass before the pier is empty and quiet. Both San’s and Seonghwa’s strength is at its limit, and they have sunk lower than when they got under the boards.

“San?” a quiet voice calls out, and it is clear by the look on the pirates’ face it is a friend and not a foe. 

“Let’s go,” San smiles at Seonghwa and guides them both out to where a decent sizzed boat is waiting. A young man with full lips, deep brown eyes, and black hair chopped short waits for them. “Seonghwa first,” San instructs when the man reaches his hands out, and they both manage to get the still bound man into the boat where he lays on the floor, catching his breath. San climbs in right after, remaining low too, and the man throws a cover over them both. 

“Keep quiet,” he reminds and slowly, not to attract any attention, rows them out of the borders of the port. Only when they are at a safe distance does he pull the cover off signaling they are safe.

“You are such a pain in the ass, San,” he sighs and picks up a musket of a type Seonghwa has never seen before from the side of the boat. “Raise your hands, commander,” he says almost too casually, and as soon as Seonghwa does, he shoots the chains in half, the shot echoing in the nearby rocks.

“Thanks, Wooyoung,” San smiles at the man who just shakes his head and gets back to rowing slowly. Meanwhile, San crawls from where he has been hiding to Seonghwa. As if it’s the most common thing for them, he crawls on top of the man, and Seonghwa welcomes him in his arms with no hesitation. 

“Aren’t we the luckiest gallows-birds one can name?” San tries to joke, taking the noose off Seonghwa’s neck and throwing it overboard. “I have heard of mates getting matching marks before, but I didn’t think my mark with someone would be this,” he pouts a bit, his fingers gently running along the raw flesh around the front of Seonghwa’s neck.

“Call it destiny, I guess?” Seonghwa manages to smile weakly before barely responding to the short kiss San gives him. The pirate seems to be out of it too and just lays his head on Seonghwa’s chest, his arms wrapping around him, Seonghwa embracing him in return despite the shackles.

“Hongjoong will have a lot to say about this,” Wooyoung sighs, but neither of the men on the floor of his boat hear him anymore. The safety of each other’s embrace calms them down to the point of all adrenaline that has kept them awake and moving washes away. Just the breeze that swirls around them and waves that crash around the edges of the boat ring in their ears along with their shared heartbeats. They both were finally truly free - only by finding each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BeanSensei)  
  
** OTHER ATEEZ FAN FICTION **  
**||** [ YunSan: Your Light ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19869763) **||** [ YunSan: The Silver Mask ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21159272) **||** [ YunSan: The Morning Alarm ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284231) **||** [ YunSan: A Gift ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21452566) **||** [ YunSan: Useless Skills](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21523681) **||** [ YunSan : Cliche ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21573070) **||** [ YunSan: The Little Things ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21648208) **||** [ YunSan: It All Starts Somewhere ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21684025) **||** [ YunSan: Perfect](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719539) **||** [ YunSan: Sugar and Spice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21758428) **||** [ YunSan: Magnetic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21932962) **||** [ JongWoo: Slow Down](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21794587) **||** [ 2Choi: City Lights](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21706930) **||** [ 2Choi: Call fo the Sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22101031) **||** [ SanHwa: Until it Overflows](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22212610%22) **||**


End file.
